A natural solution for stale-beer stench

Ah, Mondays in the Mission! You can still almost smell the beer-fueled adventures of the weekend — no, that’s actually the smell of stale beer. San Francisco could take its cue from several German Oktoberfest organizers, who this year will pour a bacteria solution on the floorboards so their beer tents don’t smell like a hangover, keeping customers away.

I can imagine San Francisco’s street cleaning trucks including some of the bacteria in Monday rounds around the Mission. As an added bonus, the stuff, called “Elbomex,” can also purportedly cover up other foul organic smells, many of which — not coincidentally, if you get my drift — also fill the Monday Mission.

The Oktoberfest hosts are giving it a go because this year’s celebration will be the first to ban smoking, which has traditionally overpowered all the other festive odors.

The bacteria mixture they plan to use is already sold as a soil additive, and all that remains after its use is a faint smell of soil. Which is undoubtedly better than the alternative.